The Mandie Collection (52 page)

“He left it unlocked because I told him I would like to borrow a book out of here,” Jonathan said, pointing to the rows of books along the walls. “I did borrow a book to read after I went to bed.”

Mandie picked up the red-wrapped present on the desk and asked, “Who is this supposed to be for?” The present was a little heavy.

“Your uncle John and your mother, of course, since this is his office,” Jonathan said. “Now, go ahead and find the others.”

The girls led the way up to the attic next. When Mandie pushed the door open, she spotted the red-wrapped present just inside on a small table. Picking it up she asked, “And whose is this?”

“That's for your grandmother,” Jonathan replied.

The gift felt awfully light. Whatever was inside didn't weigh much.

“Now for the last one,” Jonathan said.

The three went down the cellar steps, and Mandie found the third gift sitting on the bottom step. She picked it up and asked, “And this?”

“That's for you, and please don't drop it. It might break,” Jonathan warned her.

“I suppose we should take all these things back to the parlor,” Mandie said.

“Yes, and I want to see your grandmother's face when she unwraps hers,” Jonathan said with a big grin.

When the three of them entered the parlor, the adults were talking, but Mandie interrupted. “Excuse me, Mother, everyone, but we have some presents here. They are from Jonathan.” She went to her mother and handed her the one she had found in Uncle John's office. “For you and Uncle John.” She walked over to her grandmother and
said, “This one is for you.” And the last one she still held in her hand as she started to unwrap it.

Elizabeth had opened the gift and called across the room to Jonathan, “Thank you so much for this book about New York. I'm sure John and I will enjoy reading it.”

“Yes, I know we will. Thank you,” John Shaw added.

Mrs. Taft was taking off what seemed to be layers and layers of paper, and finally she came to the contents of the package. “My, my!” she exclaimed, shaking out an apron and holding it up. “I don't believe I've ever owned one of these.”

“You have everything else, so I thought that would be something you didn't have,” Jonathan explained with a big grin.

“And I intend to use it. Amanda has said she would teach me to cook. Can you imagine that? I have never learned to cook,” Mrs. Taft said, laughing as she examined the delicate embroidery around the edge of the apron.

“That's because you've never had to,” Lindall Guyer said with a loud laugh.

Mrs. Taft gave him a look, but Mandie couldn't interpret the meaning.

Suddenly the song, “I Love You Truly,” blasted across the room. Mandie quickly spotted a Graphophone sitting on a table in the corner, and although he tried to move away from it, she was sure Jonathan had been the one who had turned on the machine.

John Shaw quickly went over and turned down the sound. “This is my present for Elizabeth,” he said, looking at the startled faces across the room.

Mandie noticed Mrs. Taft was fingering the apron and was not looking at anyone. Evidently she didn't like the music.

Mandie thought about what she had done. She had deceived her grandmother because she didn't speak up and say she had invited the Guyers when Mrs. Taft had remarked that she wondered why Elizabeth had not told her they were coming. She needed to talk to Uncle Ned, but Jonathan was waiting for her to unwrap the last gift which was for her.

“Come on, Mandie,” Jonathan urged her as she stood there holding the present. “Look inside.”

Mandie glanced at him and quickly tore off the wrapping. Her blue
eyes got big as she looked at the Brownie box camera in her hand. She had heard all about these cameras and had wanted one.

“Oh, thank you, Jonathan, thank you!” Mandie exclaimed, hugging the camera to her.

“Watch out. There's film in the package, too. You can take six pictures on one roll of film,” Jonathan explained.

“I'll have to try it out while everyone is visiting here,” Mandie said as she pulled out the film.

Jonathan stepped forward and inserted the film into the camera for her. “Now all you have to do is aim and press the button,” he said. “But not in here. It's too dark. You should use it outdoors in the daylight.”

“Oh, I will,” Mandie promised. She glanced at Uncle Ned again, and this time he caught her look. She smiled and nodded toward the door. He understood and went into the hallway.

As soon as she could get away from Jonathan, Mandie followed Uncle Ned and found him in the sitting room. She sat down next to him.

“Oh, Uncle Ned, I've done a terrible thing,” she began. “And I don't know how to straighten everything out.”

“What Papoose do?” the old man asked.

“I was deceitful with my grandmother,” Mandie began. “You see, she said to me that she wondered why Mother had not told her she had invited the Guyers to visit here, when all the time I was the one who invited them, and I didn't explain to her. I let her believe my mother did it so she wouldn't be angry with me. For some reason she doesn't like the Guyers.”

“That happened long time ago,” Uncle Ned said. “But she must tell you reason, not my business. Now you must go to her and explain and ask her forgiveness. And you must ask Great God to forgive, too.”

“I know, but I'm a little afraid of what my grandmother will do,” Mandie said, nervously clutching the old man's hand. “She has strong likes and dislikes. You know that.”

“But still have to tell her, right away,” Uncle Ned insisted. He stood up. “Go now.”

“Couldn't I ask God to forgive me first?” Mandie said, rising from her seat and looking up at the tall man.

“Yes, we talk to Big God,” Uncle Ned said, grasping her hand and
looking upward. “Big God, Papoose has done wrong to grandmother. Ask forgiveness for her.”

Mandie also looked upward and added, “Dear God, I'm sorry I misled my grandmother. Somehow I am always doing wrong things. Please keep my feet on the straight and narrow path. And please forgive me this time. I thank you with all my heart.” She squeezed Uncle Ned's hand and said, “I'd better go and find Grandmother.”

“Yes,” the old man said. “And remember next time. Think before act.”

“I'm sorry, Uncle Ned, and I love you,” Mandie said, squeezing his hand with both of hers, and then she turned to hurry back into the hallway and to the parlor.

Mrs. Taft was rising from her chair and saying, “I need to go to my room for a few minutes, but I will be back in time for breakfast.”

Mandie stopped at the doorway and waited until Mrs. Taft had come out into the hall. She walked along with her as she headed toward the stairway.

“I need to talk to you a minute, Grandmother,” Mandie told her as they ascended the stairs.

Mrs. Taft looked down at her and said, “I'm sorry I've been so busy, dear. I know you've been trying to talk to me ever since we got here. Come on. Let's go to my room.”

Once they were inside Mrs. Taft's room, she motioned for Mandie to sit down beside her. “Now, Amanda, what is it you want to talk about?” she asked.

Mandie looked up at her and said, “I'm afraid I have deceived you, Grandmother. I let you believe my mother invited the Guyers when I was the one who invited them. I was sorry as soon as I asked them, though, because I know for some reason you don't like Mr. Guyer, but I couldn't cancel my invitation.”

“Why, Amanda, you invited the Guyers?” Mrs. Taft repeated, looking at her. “You mean you invited the Guyers without asking your mother first?”

“Yes, ma'am, I did,” Mandie admitted. “I invited them while I was visiting at their house in New York during Thanksgiving, and then I wrote and told Mother what I had done. She said it was all right, that she would write and tell them they would be welcome.”

“Well!” Mrs. Taft exclaimed, evidently at a loss of words. Then
she added, “I hate to tell you this, but you will have to inform your mother.”

“I know,” Mandie agreed. “Will you please forgive me? I'm really and truly sorry.”

Mrs. Taft looked at her silently for a moment and then said, “No harm done. But mind you, don't do such a thing again, you hear?”

Mandie smiled at her and said, “Thank you, Grandmother.”

“Now I have some things to do here. You go back to your friends,” Mrs. Taft said as she stood up.

“Yes, Grandmother,” Mandie replied as she walked toward the door.

Stepping out into the hallway, Mandie saw her mother going into her room down the corridor. She turned around toward her grandmother and said, “I see my mother now. I'll go get her.”

She hurried to catch her mother and asked her to come to Mrs. Taft's room with her. Elizabeth questioned her but went along.

When the situation was explained to Elizabeth, she was not as lenient as her mother had been. She was clearly upset. “Amanda, you must straighten up and try to live a better, more honest life. Because of your deception, I am forbidding you to ever invite anyone to this house without first coming to me. Do you understand that? If I cannot trust you to be honest, then I will have to restrain some of those impulses you have.”

“Yes, Mother,” Mandie said meekly. “I understand and I am sorry.”

Elizabeth looked at her mother and then at Mandie. “Now go back down to the parlor. Your friends are waiting for you there,” she said.

Mandie got up to leave the room and walked slowly to the door. Looking back, she said, “I am truly sorry, Mother and Grandmother.”

Mandie slowly made her way back to the parlor with the guilty feeling that she had let her grandmother and her mother down. She was disgusted with herself.

Then when she got to the parlor door, she heard Dr. Woodard saying to Mr. Guyer and Uncle John, “Yes, Joe will definitely go away to college somewhere next year. We are still looking and don't know where yet, but he will go somewhere.”

Mandie felt another stab at her heart. Her lifetime friend, Joe Woodard, was going away and would not be coming for frequent visits as he
had always done. She would have no one to help solve all the mysteries she kept running into—except her friend Celia. But then Celia very seldom came to Mandie's house, not like Joe did.

Yes, she was going to miss Joe, more than anyone knew.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LOIS GLADYS LEPPARD worked in Federal Intelligence for thirteen years in various countries around the world. She now makes her home in South Carolina.

The stories of her own mother's childhood as an orphan in western North Carolina are the basis for many of the incidents incorporated in this series.

Visit her Web site:
www.Mandie.com
.

MANDIE MYSTERIES

The Mandie Collection: Volume One
(Books 1-5)

The Mandie Collection: Volume Two
(Books 6-10)

The Mandie Collection: Volume Three
(Books 11-15)

The Mandie Collection: Volume Four
(Books 16-20)

The Mandie Collection: Volume Five
(Books 21-23)

The Mandie Collection: Volume Six
(Books 24-26)

The Mandie Collection: Volume Seven
(Books 27-29)

The Mandie Collection: Volume eight
(Books 30-32)

Mandie: Her College Days
New Horizons